Afrique 10 – THE OULU HOUSE

 First we go to New Betesdha.

We decide to follow by the rasonable way, the main tared road N9. It looks easier than the gravel road proposed by the cyclist we met in Graaf Reinet. The road mosly climbs, slowly, by the land with small shrubs and grass, between 2 smooth slopes. After 30 km we turn on left on the backroad to New Betesdha. It continues climbing, the last 4 km very steep, we have to push the bicyles walking, till the pass, 1600 m, 750 m climbing. Then comes a quick downhill till the river, with a spectacular view of the serpentine river in a field, between peaks. Then we have some km of gravel roads, to join the village, at 1250 m high.
Well it is very quiet, with a district with good houses for whites, an other district with basic houses for blacks, and the school and sport ground between. As we are nearly the only tourists in winter, we have all a lodfe for us two, luxury. On the next morning we visit the Owl House. It is a house where the owner, a woman, wirh the help of a black employee, covered all the walls and ceilings with crushed glass from bottles. They made decorations playing with the diferent colours of glasses, in each room. The floor of the terrace is also paved with pieces of bottles. The windows are painted in colours. And in the garden, there are a lot of cement statuees, as big as human beings, mimiking the birth of Christ and the mages on camels, and also paons and owls. Part of the statues are decorated with glass too. Then we go shopping in the township, and spend the afternoon resting.